“Praises Be Upon My Mother”

Candice Mitchell*

Greetings, life-sustainer of four,

Full of intelligence, strength, and determination.

I show gratitude for helping shape my identity.

You who worked continuously making sure your children are fed,

I show gratitude.

You who remained after each surgery,

I show gratitude.

You who learned the basis of my disease,

I show gratitude.

You who placed all our needs above your own,

I show gratitude.

Receive my morning greetings

above: if these fingers could write the ancestors, what would they write?

See hear

by: ebony noelle golden

grab the dirt    rotate the skull   spit light  lighten the step  step light  rest in the right   then write

like this

1.  fight  2. remember  3.  resistresistresist  4.  rest  5.  rise and chop  6.  splay and shed  7.  bring leave burn  8.  repeat

turn slow   bring the palm to cheek   check for pulse  the repeat resist repeat  resist

where does the body begin

itch   swing

~

~

ebony noelle golden is the director of betty’s daughter arts collaborative and an active member of SpiritHouse-NC.  she is currently a graduate student in Performance Studies at NYU where is articulating the artistic and spiritual resistance models of her ancestors all day every day.  contact her at furiousflower@gmail.com